Doug McClure Movies
Raw-boned blonde leading man Doug McClure came to films in 1957, but it was television that made him a star. He played secondary roles on such MCA series as The Overland Trail (1960) and Checkmate (1961-62) before striking paydirt as Trampas on the long-running (1962-71) western series The Virginian. During his first flush of stardom, McClure played leads in two Universal remakes, Beau Geste (1966) and The King's Pirate (the 1967 remake of Errol Flynn's Against All Flags). He also dashed through a trio of British-filmed Edgar Rice Burroughs derivations, The Land That Time Forgot (1974), At the Earth's Core (1976) and The People That Time Forgot (1977). He perpetuated his athletic, devil-may-care image into his brief 1975 TVer, Search (1975). In the late 1980s, Doug McClure reemerged as an agreeable comic actor, playing an Eastwoodish movie-star-cum-small-town-mayor in the syndicated sitcom Out of This World (1987-88). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1978
- PG
Also known as Seven Cities to Atlantis, this is a youth-oriented, British-produced adventure fantasy which uses rather ordinary special effects. In Victorian England, an explorer, Greg Collinson (Doug McClure), leads an unlikely expedition to discover the lost continent of Atlantis. Among the team are scientists Professor Aitken (Donald Boisset) and son Charles (Peter Gilmore). The crew members mutiny, setting their sights on the legendary treasures of Atlantis. The ship is attacked by sea monsters and a giant octopus. Sinking to the bottom of the sea, the explorers find that Atlantis is populated by intelligent beings from another planet who enslave shipwrecked sailors. The aliens' goal is to create a fascist state that will rule the world, and they want to recruit Charles to help them. Delphine (Lea Brodie), the daughter of one of the shipwrecked slaves, helps the heroes find a high priestess, Atsil (Cyd Charisse), who holds the key to their chances of escaping. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Doug McClure, Peter Gilmore, (more)
- 1977
- PG
In this fantasy adventure tale based on a novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Ben McBride (Patrick Wayne) sets out to find Bowen Tyler (Doug McClure), a fellow explorer who was lost during an expedition to the island of Caprone, a tropical oasis in the midst of the arctic. McBride arrives at Caprone to discover that Tyler is fending off tribes of savage cavemen, doing battle with strange prehistoric beasts, and contending with frequent volcanic erruptions. Of course, life on Caprone isn't all bad, as a glimpse of Tyler's significant other Ajor (Dana Gillespie) would suggest, but the men still face many significant challenges as they try to get off the island and back to civilization. The People That Time Forgot was Doug McClure's third go-round in an Edgar Rice Burroughs adventure vehicle, following adaptations of The Land That Time Forgot and At the Earth's Core. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Patrick Wayne, Doug McClure, (more)
- 1977
Death Flight was originally known as SST: Death Flight when it was first telecast February 25, 1977. Though fairly expensive so far as TV movies go, the film is brought down to earth by its standard B-flick plot. On its maiden flight, America's first supersonic transport runs into deadly danger high in the sky-and may never get to land. In true Airport fashion, the plane is populated with celebrities (at least by TV standards): Barbara Anderson, Bert Convy, Peter Graves, Lorne Greene, Tina Louise, George Maharis, Burgess Meredith, Doug McClure, Martin Milner, Robert Reed, Susan Strasberg, Billy Crystal, and even Regis Philbin. The film's working title was Death of the Maiden, but this was too close to Death and the Maiden, the 90-minute pilot episode of the 1973 Jimmy Stewart TV series Hawkins. Death Flight was later syndicated as SST: Disaster in the Sky. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This is the second sci-fi adventure based on a novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the first being 1975's The Land That Time Forgot. At The Earth's Core stars Doug McClure as explorer David Innes and Peter Cushing as professor Abner Perry, whose experimental "iron core" drill goes out of control and leads them to the underground kingdom of Pellucidar, where the Wing People are ruled by the monstrous, flying Mahars. With the help of the professor, Innes leads the Wing People in revolt against their evil masters. Monsters and mayhem abound in what is essentially a well-produced, if somewhat juvenile, knockoff of The Time Machine. ~ Don Kaye, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Doug McClure, Peter Cushing, (more)
- 1975
The Canadian wilderness provides the backdrop of his high-flying adventure that follows a bush pilot and a runaway orphan as they try to survive after an emergency landing. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1975
- PG
In this low budget fantasy adventure from Britain, based on Edgar Rice Burroughs' 1918 science fiction novel, a German submarine holding American prisoners of war during World War I, veers off course. Lost at sea, the submarine empties its fuel supply and runs aground on an uncharted island in the Antarctic. The survivors find that the island contains an ancient oil refinery that can be used to fuel the submarine. The only problem is that the group of Germans and Americans have to battle gigantic dinosaurs and primitive cavemen as they make their way through the island. The Land That Time Forgot was enough of a success to spawn a 1976 sequel called The People That Time Forgot. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Doug McClure, John McEnery, (more)
- 1975
The mysterious Bermuda Triangle is the setting for the 1975 TV movie Satan's Triangle. Kim Novak is washed up (not figuratively but literally) off the coast of Florida. She claims to be the sole survivor of a small fishing boat, whose passengers have inexplicably vanished from the face of the Earth. Further investigation only results in more disappearances, until practically no one is left but the cameraman and the key grip. The best element of Satan's Triangle is the almost casual method with which the various cast members evaporate from view. Outside of this, the film says nothing that hasn't been said better elsewhere. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
What Changed Charley Farthing stars Doug McClure as a wayfaring sailor stopping over in Havana. In the tradition of The African Queen, the sailor becomes a reluctant hero when he is hired to give safe passage out of Cuba to a young woman (Hayley Mills) and her father (Lionel Jeffries). This involves stealing a boat, ducking the authorities, and avoiding bullets. David Pursall and Jack Seddon adapted the screenplay from a novel by Mark Hebdon. What Changed Charley Farthing has been run repeatedly on American television under its alternate title The Bananas Boat. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
In this comedy, some clever amateur basketball players create an interesting and highly rewarding variation of the popular sport. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1973
Hollywood's Doug McClure stars in the German Fight for Gold. Shot on location in the northernmost Alps, the story concerns a winner-take-all race for riches. It is one thing to fight the elements in pursuit of the gold. The trick is to return to civilization in one piece once the treasure is claimed-and to avoid the treachery of others. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
Lloyd Bridges' gloriously unconvincing German accent is but one of the guilty pleasures of Death Race. Set during the African campaign of World War 2, this made-for-TV nailbiter pits Nazi general Bridges against wounded American pilot Roy Thinnes. Manning the controls of a tank, Herr Bridges intends to blast Thinnes into eternity-but it ain't gonna be that easy. Billed third as "Stoeffer" is Eric Braden, who under his given name of Hans Gudegast was one of the stars of a previous desert-war TV series, The Rat Patrol (1966-68). Death Race first plotted its course on November 10, 1973. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1972
Even Bette Davis showed up in a TV-movie pilot from time to time. The Judge and Jake Wyler stars the indestructible Davis as a hypochondriac former judge who becomes a private detective. Davis puts paroled ex-con Doug McClure to work as her "leg man," searching for clues in the supposed suicide of the heroine's (Joan Van Ark) businessman father. Had Judge and Jake Wyler sold as a series, Davis would have had to choose between this project and another projected weekly, Madame Sin; the decision was made for her when neither series sold. Two years later, Judge and Jake Wyler was rewritten, recast with Lee Grant and Lou Antonio, and repitched as a pilot under the title Partners in Crime (which also didn't fly). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1972
Alan Alda is divorced from Barbara Feldon. Doug McClure is divorced from Connie Stevens. While spending the weekend with their respective children, Alda and McClure meet and become fast friends. Then, surreptitiously, Alda begins squiring Stevens while McClure does the same with Feldon. More believable and three-dimensional than most quickie TV-movies of its ilk, Playmates benefits from the enthusiastic performances of its stars and the perceptive script by Richard Baer. The film originally aired October 3, 1972. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1971
In this airborne disaster movie, a passenger and a flight attendant are forced to fly a commercial jet when the passengers and crew are incapacitated by food poisoning. Later they are rescued by a courageous ex-combat helicopter pilot who helps them land the giant bird. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1971
Some prisoners pin their hopes for freedom on a homemade aircraft in this made-for-television thriller. Based on a true World War Two story, Doug McClure stars as Harry Cook, an Allied soldier who tries to escape a Nazi prison camp with a scientist in tow, using a glider built by their fellow inmates. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
- 1971
The Death of Me Yet opens in a typical American small town that turns out to be in the middle of the Soviet Union. As we all know from those Jack Webb-narrated documentaries of the 1950s, the rascally Russians have set up these ersatz American communities in order to train their agents to subtly infiltrate the good ol' USA. The agent of choice in this TV movie is Doug McClure, who poses as a supposedly respectable newspaper editor in a genuine American small town. Darren McGavin plays the US government agent who arrives in town and shakes things up by asking all sorts of probing questions about the above-suspicion Mr. McClure. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1969
The fans of television shows The Virginian and Laredo will delight to the combined casts of the two popular series for Backtrack. Ramrod (James Drury) and Trampas (Doug McClure) are shown meeting for the first time as they go to work on the Shilo Ranch. Reese (Neville Brand) Chad (Peter Brown) and Riley (William Smith) are the Texas Rangers who meet Trampas when he travels to Mexico. Ramrod sends Trampas South of the border to pick up a prized bull. Trampas and the Rangers come across a railroad train where the only survivor of a brutal robbery is a baby. Captain Estrada (Fernando Lamas) and his spitfire mistress Madame Dolores (Ida Lupino) are the villains who give the good guys a bad time. Royal Dano, William Smith and Rhonda Fleming also appear. Chad tries to talk the evil Estrada into letting Trampas and the captured Rangers out of jail, promising further help for the scheming Mexican in this action-packed routine western saga. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Neville Brand, Doug McClure, (more)
- 1968
This military comedy finds chief petty officer Doc Willoughby (Doug McClure) on board the submarine U.S.S. Bustard. He spends the majority of his off-duty time chasing women, getting in fights and trying to stay one step ahead of the irascible commanding officer. He scatters cockroaches in the captain's quarters in an attempt to gain shore leave to make time with a pretty female. Nancy Kwan is the Japanese nurse who is his love interest, and James Whitmore is the infuriated commander who suspects but is unable to pin anything on the resourceful CPO. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bea Bradley, Steve Carlson, (more)
- 1967
The Longest Hundred Miles was among the first feature films produced specifically for television. Doug McClure stars as an American GI, stationed in the Philippines during World War II. Reluctantly, McClure is persuaded by army nurse Katharine Ross and local priest Ricardo Montalban to transport a bus load of native children across enemy lines. Filmed inexpensively on the Universal back lot, the film is distinguished by the musical score of Oscar-winning composer Franz Waxman. The Longest Hundred Miles debuted January 21, 1967. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1967
This very economical remake of the 1952 Errol Flynn vehicle Against All Flags stars Doug McClure in the Flynn role. Cashiered from the royal navy in disgrace, McClure becomes a buccaneer, guiding his loyal crew to an island completely populated by cutthroats. Here he links up with pirate-captain Guy Stockwell and lady-swashbuckler Jill St. John. The plot comes to a head when the pirates conspire to hold lovely Middle-Eastern princess Mary Ann Mobley for ransom. McClure comes to her rescue and routs the rascals, revealing along the way that he's been working under cover on behalf of the king (a fact rather given away by the title). The most fascinating moments of The King's Pirate concern a pair of well-proportioned belly dancers, who keep the other pirates occupied while McClure goes about his business. The camera lovingly and longingly records each bump, grind, and wiggle, allowing the audience to get its mind off the creaky plot contrivances. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Doug McClure, Jill St. John, (more)
- 1966
Christopher Wren's classic adventure story is brought to the screen for the third time in this version, which featured several popular television stars of the day. Beau Geste (Guy Stockwell) is forced to take the blame for a crime he didn't commit in order to protect the good name of his family; he and his brother John (Doug McClure) flee the country to avoid capture and join the French Foreign Legion. Under the leadership of the sadistic Sgt. Major Dagineau (Telly Savalas), Beau and John must battle Arab troops as they try to clear their names. For this more budget-minded adaptation of the story, the three Geste brothers were whittled down to two; Wren's story wasn't filmed again until Marty Feldman's send-up of the Foreign Legion epics, The Last Remake of Beau Geste, appeared in 1977. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Guy Stockwell, Doug McClure, (more)
The year is 1863. Wealthy Virginia landowner Charlie Anderson (James Stewart), a man of peace despite his autocratic behavior, steadfastly refuses to take sides in the Civil War. Bit by bit, Anderson's isolationism--and his way of living--is torn apart.
Charlie's daughter, Jannie Anderson (Rosemary Forsyth) falls in love with Confederate soldier Sam (Doug McClure). His youngest son, Boy Anderson (Philip Alford) is captured by the Confederate army and taken prisoner. Meanwhile, another son, James (Patrick Wayne) and his wife, Ann (Katherine Ross), are murdered by looters. And his oldest son, Jacob Glenn Corbett, is accidentally killed. How all of these personal tragedies culminate in a successfully sentimental finale is the peculiar charm of Shenandoah, which proved to be a hit with audiences on both sides of the Mason-Dixon line. James Lee Barrett's screenplay was later adapted into a successful Broadway musical, starring Northern Exposure's John Cullum in the Stewart role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Charlie's daughter, Jannie Anderson (Rosemary Forsyth) falls in love with Confederate soldier Sam (Doug McClure). His youngest son, Boy Anderson (Philip Alford) is captured by the Confederate army and taken prisoner. Meanwhile, another son, James (Patrick Wayne) and his wife, Ann (Katherine Ross), are murdered by looters. And his oldest son, Jacob Glenn Corbett, is accidentally killed. How all of these personal tragedies culminate in a successfully sentimental finale is the peculiar charm of Shenandoah, which proved to be a hit with audiences on both sides of the Mason-Dixon line. James Lee Barrett's screenplay was later adapted into a successful Broadway musical, starring Northern Exposure's John Cullum in the Stewart role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Stewart, Doug McClure, (more)
- 1964
In this remake of Johnny Dark (1954) an ex-GI and college dropout would rather play with cars than anything else until he meets the lovely Eady with whom he falls passionately in love. They get engaged and go to San Francisco where he begins working on building a prototype car for a millionaire. When the arrogant young man ignores the millionaire's advice and destroys the car, he is immediately fired. The young man, determined to make his engine work, manages to scare up enough cash to get his engine back from the millionaire. He then goes on to enter the Tri-State Endurance Race. After it is all over, the young fellow finds that he has become a serious young man. He then marries his girl, and goes back to college. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Darren, Pamela Tiffin, (more)
